Diane Hammond returns Sunday April 6th at 5:00 for a resentation on Friday’s Harbor. Killer Whales were once Diane Hammond’s main interest, she was intimately involved in the Keiko Foundation. She brings the background of someone who has had an unusual opportunity to be quite close to an individual whale to the story. Three years after the conclusion of Hannah’s Dream there have been a few changes at the Max L. Biedelman Zoo. Truman is now zoo director, Sam has retired, and Neva is managing a doggie daycare. As they go about their various duties, a whale is nearing his end in the warm water of his tiny Columbian pool. Gabriel, a specialist on working with whales, gives him a year at best; he will perish if not moved to better surroundings. Truman’s aunt has time on her hands and way too much money. She cajoles her favorite nephew into accepting the whale and bankrolls his move from Columbia to the Pacific Northwest. This whale has personality! Hammond’s experience is put to good use in crafting a story with a killer whale who engages the reader and entertains. There are a variety of plot twists, an animal communicator ill used by a publicity seeking local journalist, animal rights advocates intent on “freeing” the killer whale at any cost, and the feeding frenzy of the press and public when the whale arrives. Through it all, the killer whale stars and will capture the reader’s heart. Hannah’s Dream is a lovely story. Sam has been Hannah’s keeper since he returned from the Korean War and found work on Max Biedelman’s opulent estate. Max traveled the world, bringing back animals from Africa and Southeast Africa, creating a little piece of paradise here in the northwest. Max wanted her animals to go on living in the same style; she left her estate to the city as a zoo. Forty years later the opulence is long past, the zoo is a labyrinth of concrete, vendor’s carts and enclosures. Hannah spends her days with Sam and her nights locked in the barn alone, standing on the cold concrete floor. Sam is getting on in years, diabetes takes a toll on his health, he worries about Hannah. When he has to retire who will care for Hannah? At nights his dreams of lush meadows with many elephants, in the morning the only comfort he can bring Hannah is a bag of Dunkin donuts. He knows the zoo director, Harriett, does not have a clue about Hannah’s needs. Profit she understands; the needs of an elephant are a bit more hazy. A new assistant keeper makes Sam believe dreams can come true. Seeing stars was an “Indie Next” pick. Hollywood sparkles as child actors reach for that gold ring, desperate to make the next booking and land the part that will make them a star. The story draws you in as the young actors try booking Hollywood. Going to bend and Homesick Creek are both strong novels set in Oregon. Hammond writes stories that feel real, with everyday people doing their best to get by.

Meet author Diane Hammond as she read from her novel Friday's Harbor, the story of an ailing and abused captive orca which is rescued and brought to a more caring zoo, and the controversy that ensues as he regains health. Set in the Pacific Northwest, this tale, and the questions that it raises, will resonate with many here.

The heartwarming and provocative sequel to Diane Hammond's Hannah's dream, Friday's Harbor is the compelling story of a dying orca, the caring zoo that saves him, and the controversy that threatens his captivity.

It's been three years since Hannah, the elephant, departed the Max L. Biedelman Zoo, in Bladenham, Washington, and much has changed, including the appointment of new executive director Truman Levy, and the arrival of a failing killer whale named Friday.

With the help of marine mammal rehabilitator Gabriel Jump, and a team of dedicated though inexperienced keepers, Friday begins to recover. But not everyone believes he should be in captivity--a debate that explodes onto a national stage. Now, Friday's fate may no longer rest in the hands of Truman and the staff at the Max L. Biedelman Zoo.

Friday's Harbor illuminates the special bond between animals and humans, while also acknowledging the complex nature of that bond.

Like The Art of Racing in the Rain and Water for Elephants, Friday's Harbor beautifully illuminates the special bond between animals and humans. Friday's Harbor, the heartwarming and provocative sequel to Diane Hammond's Hannah's Dream, is the compelling story of a dying orca, the caring zoo that saves him, and the controversy that threatens his captivity. It's been three years since Hannah, the elephant, departed the Max L. Biedelman Zoo, in Bladenham, Washington, and much has changed, including the appointment of new executive director Truman Levy, and the arrival of a failing killer whale named Friday. With the help of marine mammal rehabilitator Gabriel Jump, and a team of dedicated though inexperienced keepers, Friday begins to recover. But not everyone believes he should be in captivity—a debate that explodes onto a national stage. Now, Friday's fate may no longer rest in the hands of Truman and the caring staff at the Max L. Biedelman Zoo. ----

Diane Hammond is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Seeing Stars, Hannah's Dream, Going to Bend, and Homesick Creek. She served as a spokesperson for the Free Willy Keiko Foundation and the Oregon Coast Aquarium and currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and their three Pembroke Welsh corgis.

Ruth Rabinowitz believes that her daughter Bethy is a terrific little actress. Hollywood, of course, eats people like Ruth and Bethy for breakfast. Surrounded by other aspiring child stars, they will discover just how far they can go--and maybe just how far they want to. Diane’s last novel, Hannah’s Dream was an Indie Notable pick, and Seeing Stars has been chosen as an Indie Pick for April. An up-and-coming author! (thirdstreetbooks)… (more)

For forty-one years, Samson Brown has been caring for Hannah, the lone elephant at the down-at-heel Max L. Biedelman Zoo. Having vowed not to retire until an equally loving and devoted caretaker is found to replace him, Sam rejoices when smart, compassionate Neva Wilson is hired as the new elephant keeper. But Neva quickly discovers what Sam already knows: that despite their loving care, Hannah is isolated from other elephants, and her feet are nearly ruined from standing on hard concrete all day. Using her contacts in the zookeeping world, Neva and Sam hatch a plan to send Hannah to an elephant sanctuary—just as the zoo's angry, unhappy director launches an aggressive revitalization campaign that spotlights Hannah as the star attraction, inextricably tying Hannah's future to the fate of the Max L. Biedelman Zoo. (booksense)… (more)

Author Diane Hammond will lead the discussion of Hannah’s Dream. Can a man and an elephant share a dream&quest; Sam has been Hannah’s keeper for over forty years. He knows standing on cement floors, living alone in a zoo enclosure is taking a toll on Hannah. He also knows he will have to retire soon, then what will happen to Hannah&quest; Can dreams come true&quest; Maybe. Join us for the author led discussion of this lovely book. (booksense)… (more)

Join author Diane Hammond as she reads from and signs copies of her latest book, Hannah's Dream. From critically acclaimed Diane Hammond comes HANNAH’S DREAM, a charming and captivating story of an aging caretaker and his beloved elephant. In the tradition of Water for Elephants and Modoc, Hammond brings her “clean prose, pitch-perfect dialogue, and keen eye for social detail” (Boston Globe) to the page once again in an honest and emotional new novel. (boconno1)… (more)

In the tradition of Water for Elephants comes Diane Hammond's Hannah's Dream (Harper Paperbacks), a charming, captivating story of an aging caretaker and his beloved elephant, with an extraordinary cast of quirky characters centered around a dilapidated zoo. (oregonobsessionz)